Note: If you would like to see press reports on the actions of ACT's members and leaders, click the link below: News Clippings

Making History  “Who are the History Makers?” asks theologian Walter Brueggemann in his book, Hope Within History. The recorded history of  ancient Egypt is the story of the Pharaohs and their deeds.  But as Brueggemann points out, Israelite slaves were the actual builders of the temples, pyramids and palaces. Day by day, these slaves created a new Egypt and the histories of the Pharaohs. Brueggemann asks whether Pharaoh, backed by the gods and the bureaucracies of the status quo, was the chief history maker of Exodus. He believes the Jewish God, captive to no ideology, and the Israelites, led by Moses, made history when they questioned slavery and stood up to the status quo. Today, we read much about the deeds of elected officials, developers and business leaders. Yet, the developer who invests time, capital and energy lays no brick, frames no walls and installs no wiring or plumbing. This is done by tens of thousands of modern Israelites, without whom no history could be made. So too, while the elected official is at the center of the news,  working families (not all of whom are legal residents) pay the sales taxes, property taxes and other taxes to make things work. Mothers and fathers prepare children for learning.  Educators teach students critical thinking and job preparedness.  Every elected official relies on the hard work of constituents to make our society succeed. COMMUNITY HISTORY MAKERS We believe history makers include a mother teaching other mothers to turn off the television for homework time.  So is a parishioner leading others to investigate a neighborhood problem, and a father helping research a thorny community issue, and a pastor leading a congregation to City Hall. This is the story of some of the ACT leaders who have helped make history in the past few years. They had help, to be sure. Community allies from the business and civic communities stood with them. Elected officials and powerful civic leaders worked with ACT's leaders for final agreements on important issues, even if they were not eager to do so at the beginning. Religious denominations, local businesses and individuals gave financial support to supplement the dues paid by congregations.  As a result, thousands of community leaders became trained and effective.  A.C.T. has made a community impact of over $200 million in job training, utility rate reduction, city infrastructure, school programs, bond issues, and health care. So, with a tip of the hat to all who assisted, here is a snapshot of some of the ways new leaders from churches, schools and local communities have made history in the last seven years: IMMIGRATION OFFICE 1998 -- A.C.T. leaders played a key role in securing an Immigration office now located in downtown Fort Worth. It serves as the final processing center for our area.  Residents no longer have to drive to Dallas to get immigration questions answered.  STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE 1999 -- A.C.T. continued its work to increase student achievement and improve the neighborhoods surrounding A.C.T. organized Alliance schools.  ACT leaders worked with Manuel Jara Elementary to successfully increase parent participation, to create adult ESL classes, and to add speed humps and crossing guards. At Christene Moss Elementary, ACT leaders organized parents and teachers to do neighborhood clean-ups and close down crack houses.  The community secured police coverage to discourage speeding,  and to remove public drinking and pot smoking, which occurred in sight of the children. Both schools now have improved to "Recognized" status from the Texas Education Agency. ACT leaders also organized and trained parents and teachers at East Fort Worth Montessori, Atwood McDonald Elementary, and Morningside Middle schools.  Their efforts led to a new playground at East Fort Worth, sidewalks at Atwood McDonald, and removal of dangerous mold at Morningside. In the past five years, ACT leaders have worked with the Fort Worth and Arlington Schools to win nearly $1 million in statewide school/community organizing grants.   QUALITY AFTER SCHOOL CARE 2000 -- ACT leaders worked with the Fort Worth City Council and FWISD school board to pass the Crime Tax District.  As part of the negotiations prior to ACT's endorsement,  $2.2 million of Crime Tax joint funding was earmarked for crime prevention, by creating after-school programs on school sites. The after school initiative was pushed by ACT and modeled heavily on the successful programs created in Alliance schools, organized by ACT leaders. After the election, the after-school initiative was almost scuttled by a longstanding lawsuit claim by  the city against the school district.  In what was described as a "shotgun wedding" by the press, ACT leaders organized a joint meeting with the mayor, school board president, and business leaders. As a result, the after-school monies were released. Now, 52 schools have after-school programs for over 3,000 children.  Each program features enrichment and learning as well as safe, supervised play. RIPLEY ARNOLD PUBLIC HOUSING (2001-2003) 2001 -- Residents of the Ripley Arnold Housing Project approached ACT leaders for assistance. Radio Shack wanted their downtown land for a new headquarters, and the Housing Authority was going to evict them.  Despite federal laws requiring new housing for anyone displaced, the Authority only offered to put residents on "the list." ACT leaders organized the residents and brokered a landmark agreement between the City and the Housing Authority. All residents won guaranteed quality housing in new locations, money for moving costs, and a $300,000 fund for transition counseling and assistance.  CONTINUING TO TRANSFORM -- 2003 and Beyond  PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE Through small group meetings with hundreds of parents and parishioners, ACT leaders decided to support preventive healthcare for all residents of Tarrant County, regardless of residency status.  Access to preventive health care makes sense from both the perspectives of justice and public health. The County maintained that an ambiguity in state law prevented JPS from providing non-emergency care to immigrants.  ACT leaders joined public officials in Austin to clear up the ambiguities.  Working with the county, the state Attorney General and JPS, state law was changed to allow, but not require, undocumented residents to receive preventive care in county clinics instead of much more expensive treatment in the emergency room. Sadlly, Tarrant County began treating immigrants but then rescinded its policy in less than a year.  Of all the state's metropolitan counties, ours is the only one to withhold preventive health care and pay higher emergency room costs as a result. The cost in human suffering and in increased costs at the emergency rooms has been enormous.  ACT leaders are currently organizing to reinstate the county's immigrant health care policy. Additionally, A.C.T. members joined other IAF faith based organizations from across Texas to meet with legislators and the legislative leadership on the state's Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).  Last year, the legislature restored funding for health, vision and dental services to Texas' children. SCHOOLS, TAXES AND FAMILIES In late 2005, A.C.T. joined IAF leaders from across Texas to investigate the shortage of funds for state schools.  The Texas Supreme Court had just ruled the property taxes, as then structured, were unconstitutional. The legislature, in its regular session, tried to rework property taxes by substituting a higher sales tax in its place. Research with the Comptroller, the legislator and the state Tax Reform Commission showed sales taxes to be the most expensive tax for low and middle income families, since much more of their budgets are spent on taxable goods.  We also learned the state's business tax had not been reworked since the days of "cattle, oil and cotton." and it now collected from less than 7% of Texas businesses. To protect families and improve schools we started with congregational issue workshops and advanced to candidate accountability nights, legislative meetings, testimony at the Tax Reform Commission and face to face meetings with the governor and our legislators. In a May 2006 special session, the legislature passed a new broad-based business tax, cut property taxes, refused to raise the sales tax and added another almost $2 billion for schools.  The legislature also strengthened equity in school finance to make sure that rich school districts did not leave poor school districts behind in funding.   SCHOOLS, TAXES AND FAMILIES In late 2005, A.C.T. joined IAF leaders from across Texas to investigate the shortage of funds for state schools.  The Texas Supreme Court had just ruled the property taxes, as then structured, were unconstitutional. The legislature, in its regular session, tried to rework property taxes by substituting a higher sales tax in its place. Research with the Comptroller, the legislator and the state Tax Reform Commission showed sales taxes to be the most expensive tax for low and middle income families, since much more of their budgets are spent on taxable goods.  We also learned the state's business tax had not been reworked since the days of "cattle, oil and cotton." and it now collected from less than 7% of Texas businesses. To protect families and improve schools we started with congregational issue workshops and advanced to candidate accountability nights, legislative meetings, testimony at the Tax Reform Commission and face to face meetings with the governor and our legislators. In a May 2006 special session, the legislature passed a new broad-based business tax, cut property taxes, refused to raise the sales tax and added another almost $2 billion for schools.  The legislature also strengthened equity in school finance to make sure that rich school districts did not leave poor school districts behind in funding. Note:  Picture shows A.C.T. leaders joining other IAF state leaders to discuss school finance with state Sen. Madla in Austin News Clippings